"It was a very productive offseason," said Utley, who did baseball activities throughout the winter in order to stay strong. "I had no flareups. In the weight room, I made progressions I haven't done in three or four years. I was able to get stronger. I wanted to get my legs stronger without irritating my knees and I did that. I think all the hard work I did this offseason will pay off." Utley is hopeful that his new maintenance program will allow him to start the regular season on time for the first time since 2010. The 34-year-old remains a risk in fantasy leagues, but he has a chance to be a nice bargain at a thin second base position.